Indonesia Should ‘Learn’ to Build Infrastructure from Japan, Not China

Construction of the toll road in the era of President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) was intensively carried out. In fact, after the Trans Java Toll Road on the north side of Java Island is connected, the construction of the toll road will continue on the south side.

Transportation observer Djoko Setijowarno criticized the toll road development policy. According to Djoko Indonesia should learn from Japan in building transportation infrastructure because Japan has island characteristics, just like Indonesia.

As a Japanese archipelago, the transportation of trains is more prioritized.

“The Japanese Islands for example. Public transportation there about 57% uses community trains,” he told detikFinance in Jakarta, Tuesday (02/12/2019).

“So what should we do, we build transportation according to our own country’s needs and our own capabilities,” he continued.

Djoko also criticized the government, which often compared the construction of the Indonesian toll road to China. He asked the government not to be too fixated on China which was intensively building the toll road so that it wanted to catch up with Indonesia from China.

According to Djoko, China and Indonesia cannot be compared equally because the geographical regions are different. China is a country that is full of land which tolls need to be built.

“In the future we do not pursue ‘oh China (already has a toll) for a few miles.’ “China is mainland, continental. Indonesia is an archipelago, it won’t be able to match China, it’s different. Don’t always compare to China for a few miles. That can’t be, it’s not apple to apple,” he explained. (hns / hns)